Western Ontario Hockey League
|} The Western Ontario Hockey League was a junior ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association from 1969 until 2007. As of 2007, the league has become a division of the newly formed Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. For the 2007-08 season, the WOHL, with the Mid-Western Junior Hockey League and Golden Horseshoe Junior Hockey League, will operate as three divisional leagues in one league with separate but cooperative governing bodies. In 2008, all three league will be dissolved and become divisions in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League under one governing body. In essence, this will by the WOHL's final season. History The Western had been a part of the Big '10' until 1956, when the Eastern and Western conference were split into separate leagues -- the Eastern becoming the Central, the Western becoming the Western League. In 1968, the St.Thomas Barons, Sarnia Legionnaires, Guelph Imperials, Chatham Maroons and Brantford Foresters broke away from the Ontario Hockey Association to form a Junior "A" League known as the Western Ontario Junior A Hockey League. A year later, the OHA pulled together a bunch of local teams (the Waterloo Siskins, Stratford Warriors, Sarnia Bees, St.Mary's Lincolns and the London Squires) as well as the return of the Strathroy Rockets (who had joined the Central Junior B league for a season) and formed a new Western Ontario Junior "B" Hockey League. According to the WOJHL history, a re-organization of Ontario's Jr. B hockey teams occurred prior to the 1978/79 with the folding of the short lived Southwestern Junior B Hockey League and the Mid-Ontario Junior B Hockey League. The realignment meant that the OHA had consolidated the Southern Ontario region from 7 to 5 Junior "B" leagues. Although this marks the birth of the modern Western Ontario Jr. B league, the teams in the league did not change. In 1989, the Metro league went renegade and eventually became a Tier II Junior "A" league. In 1993, the Central league was promoted to Tier II Junior "A" as well. Since then, the OHA has operated with 3 Junior "B" leagues, but due to the talent level of these 3 league there has been a recent push to bring all three leagues to the Tier II Junior "A" level and allow for a new realignment. From 1999 until 2001, the league changed its name to the Greater Ontario Hockey League in an attempt to drop the "Junior B" designation. The league has since referred to itself as the Western Ontario Hockey League. In 2007, the WOHL merged with the Mid-Western Junior Hockey League and the Golden Horseshoe Junior Hockey League to become the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. 2007-08 Season For information on the 2007-08 season, please see: Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. Final teams These are the teams that were in the league during its final independent season (2006-07). *'Chatham Maroons' *'Leamington Flyers' *'London Nationals' *'Petrolia Jets' *'St. Marys Lincolns' *'St. Thomas Stars' *'Sarnia Blast' *'Strathroy Rockets' *'Tecumseh Chiefs' Other former members *Aylmer Aces *Belle River Bulldogs *Michigan Americans *Port Huron Flags *Stratford Warriors Playoff Champions *2007 Strathroy Rockets *2006 Chatham Maroons *2005 Chatham Maroons *2004 Chatham Maroons *2003 Petrolia Jets *2002 Sarnia Blast *2001 Chatham Maroons *2000 Chatham Maroons *1999 Chatham Maroons *1998 Chatham Maroons *1997 Strathroy Rockets *1996 St. Thomas Stars *1995 St. Thomas Stars *1994 St. Marys Lincolns *1993 Sarnia Bees *1992 London Diamonds *1991 Chatham Mic Macs *1990 Chatham Mic Macs *1989 Sarnia Bees *1988 St. Thomas Stars *1987 St. Thomas Stars *1986 St. Thomas Stars *1985 St. Mary's Lincolns *1984 London Diamonds *1983 London Diamonds *1982 Sarnia Bees *1981 London Diamonds *1980 Windsor Royals *1979 Windsor Royals *1978 Windsor Royals *1977 *1976 St. Marys Lincolns *1975 *1974 *1973 Sarnia Bees *1972 St. Marys Lincolns *1971 Stratford Warriors *1970 Stratford Warriors Records Records taken from Official Website. *Best record: 1981-82 Sarnia Bees (36-4-2) *Worst record: 1988-89 Tillsonburg Titans (1-39-2) *Largest margin of victory: Leamington Flyers 30 - Windsor Bulldogs 3 on January 20, 1995 *Most goals, one season: Bill Lochead (73) -- 1970-71 Sarnia Bees *Most assists, one season: Brian Wiseman (77) -- 1989-90 Chatham Maroons / Greg Day (77) -- 1996-97 Tecumseh Chiefs *Most points, one season: Brian Wiseman (147) -- 1989-90 Chatham Maroons *Most goals, career: Brent Rumble (137) -- 1995-99 Chatham Maroons *Most assists, career: Brian Wiseman (179) -- 1987-90 Chatham Maroons *Most points, career: Jason Baclig (324) -- 1998-2003 Leamington Flyers *Most penalty minutes, season: Shawn Harris (408) -- 1994-95 Sarnia Bees *Most penalty minutes, career: Tim Lantz (859) -- 1997-2000 Leamington Flyers *Most wins by goalie, season: Scott Talbot (29) -- 2002-03 Sarnia Blast *Most shutouts, season: Kyle Funkenhauser (8) -- 2005-06 Chatham Maroons *Most games played by goalie, career: Paul Gibson (132) -- 2000-07 St. Thomas Stars *Most wins by goalie, career: Paul Gibson (66) -- 2000-07 St. Thomas Stars *Most shutouts, career: Kyle Funkenhauser (12) -- 2004-06 Chatham Maroons See also *List of WOHL Seasons External links *WOHL Website *OHA Website Category:Ice hockey leagues Category:Ontario Hockey Association Category:Established in 1969 Category:Disestablished in 2007